Maintaining the Myth of Poor Little Israel.

Zionism can take many different forms. One form simply believes in the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language and that Jewish people should live free from prejudice and oppression. In that context, I consider myself a "Zionist". However, another form of Zionism (Israeli hawks) takes a much more intransigent, aggressive, imperialistic stance. It is this form of Zionism to which I refer.

In July, 2010, due to implications over Israel's "adherence to international law," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extended the period during which material contained in government archives will remain classified by 20 years.

The government’s decision to classify Israel’s past as top secret prevented the "revelation" that the stereotypical image of Israel as a persecuted nation, surrounded by dangerous Arab countries as a lie. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Israel's aggressive policies from the very beginning have contributed to the troubles it faces. In other words, Israel’s claim that it acts only in self-defense is laughable; however, dare to criticize Israel, and you will face the accusation of anti-Semite.

Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II. From 1976-2004, Israel was the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, having since been supplanted by Iraq. Since 1985, the United States has provided nearly $3 billion in grants annually to Israel.

In his article "Who is the Superpower, America or Israel? Bernd Debusmann said:

On February 18, the United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. The vote raises a question: Who dominates in the alliance between America and Israel?

Judging from the extent to which one partner defies the will of the other, decade after decade, the world’s only superpower is the weaker partner. When push comes to shove, American presidents tend to bow to Israeli wishes. Barack Obama is no exception, or he would not have instructed his ambassador at the United Nations to vote against a policy he himself stated clearly in the summer of 2009.

“The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop,” he said in a much-lauded speech in Cairo.

Compare this with the text of the resolution that drew 14 votes in favor and died with the U.S. veto: “Israeli settlements established in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and constitute a major obstacle to the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”

So, while the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, blockade of Gaza, and the  murder of innocent civilians - unarmed fishermen, in this case - continues on, the US continues on arming Israel to the tune of $3 billion per year, perpetuating the myth - through its corporatized mass media and heavily lobbied politicians - of poor little Israel fighting for its life against the big bullies on all sides, when the truth is, the "big" bully is Israel.